“International Conference On Mathematics and Statistics 2009 (ICoMS-4)" di IMK, UniMAP, Perlis

Kuala Perlis, 25 Jun 2008, dicadangkan dalam Seminar Pelancaran Institut Matematik Kejuruteraan bahwa “International Conference On Mathematics and Statistics 2009 (ICoMS-4)” di diadakan di Institut Matematik Kejuruteraan (IMK), Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP). Diperkirakan Konferensi Antarabangsa itu akan diadakan dalam bulan Julai atau Ogos 2009, dengan mengambilkira Asean Mathematical Conference (AMC) anjuran USM akan diadakan pada Jun 2009 di PWTC, Kuala Lumpur. Ini bermakna peserta yang akan menyertai AMC akan dapat bergerak ke Utara untuk ICoMS-4 pula selepas itu.

Memandangkan ICoMS-1 diadakan di Bandung, ICoMS-2 diadakan di INSPEM, UPM, Serdang dan ICoMS-3 akan diadakan di Bogor dari 5 hingga 6 Ogos 2008, maka adalah wajar ICoMS-4 bergerak ke Utara Malaysia iaitu ke Universiti Malaysia Perlis.

Menurut Prof Madya Abdull Halim Abdul, Dekan Institut Matematik Kejuruteraan, UniMAP, Perlis yang beliau tidak keberatan untuk menganjurkan acara matematik besar itu, beliau menjelaskan sambil memperkenalkan IMK kepada dunia, UniMAP juga akan turut diperkenalkan.

Semoga dengan penganjuran konferensi sebesar itu, akan mematangkan IMK dalam melayari kemajuan pesat Matematik Kejuruteraan di masa mendatang.

THE WAY FORWARD INSPEM EXPERIENCE

Kuala Perlis, 25 June 2008, Prof Dato Dr Kamel Ariffin Mohd Atan, Director of INSPEM, Universiti Putra Malaysia, Serdang, Selangor, Malaysia unveiled his experience as Director of the Institute of Mathematical Research which was established in 2001. INSPEM is an acroynm for Institut Penyelidikan Matematik or in English it is called INFORM for Institute for Mathematical Research.

The idea of forming INSPEM was mooted during a conference in mathematical science in Malaysia. INSPEM was formed as a national institute but for the time being parked at Universiti Putra Malaysia. The Director invites all Malayisan mathematicians to join INSPEM and conduct quality research. Its’ main function is to coordinate research in mathematics with the aim of producing high quality research products.

Since inception, INSPEM was able to networked researchers all over Malaysia. The associate researchers in INSPEM. Mathematics can be divided into pure and applied mathematics. The purists are importance to indulge in mathematics where applications are not seen as yet. About seventy five percentage (75%) of mathematicians in America are employed in defence sector, but in Malaysia, our government categorized mathematics as low priority as compared to other areas. Fundings are a lot in other areas than mathematics.

Previously, research in mathematics in Malaysia are considered as “textbook” type research, but recently we have to improve the quality of research to gain international recognition. Good and quality products should be our main target. We should be doing high-end research projects in mathematics. INSPEM initiated study tour to Vietnam, America, Europe and Japan to study their achievements in mathematical research and to learn fromk them. The type of researchers in INSPEM are permanent researchers, associate researchers, visiting scientists, post doctoral researchers and others. The Malaysian journal of mathematical science is produced by INSPEM. Interested readers can get more information on INSPEM from their website as follows: http://www.inform.upm.edu.my/v2/index.php?lang=my .

A lot of research products had been produced by INSPEM researchers over the years, but then what are next for INSPEM? The Director stated to further strenghthen INSPEM activities, internationalization of malaysian mathematicians and research products, awareness programs for malaysian public, and increase active involvement in mathematics.

On the question posed by an audience about the scenario of mathematicians in South-East Asia. Prof Dr Kamel cited some examples from our neighbour Singapore where, they invited prominents mathematicians from all over the world including from Israel to do research there and thus improve the quality of Singaporean mathematicians.

We do not have such a facility and Malaysia still have a long way to go in many areas. We should get more funding to organize research activities. Malaysia is no more a third-world country as compared to Indonesia and fundings from developed countries would likely not coming to Malaysia. Prof Kamel congratulated UniMAP for establishing IMK and hope IMK will flourish in years to come and thus producing engineers with sound mathematical background.

Empowering the Mathematics Education in Engineering in the 21st. Century

Kuala Perlis, 25 Jun 2008, Prof Dr Nursarahaida Saidina Amin, Head of Fluid Dynamics Research Group, Department of Mathematics, Universiti Teknologi Malaysia, Skudai, Johor, Malaysia, said producing competence engineering mathematicians is very crucial in uplifting the engineering mathematics education in Malaysia. She in delivering a working paper on “Empowering the Mathematics Education in Engineering in the 21st. Century”.

She further added that there are a lot of areas where mathematicians can play importance roles. She gave suggestions and recommendations to improve engineering mathematics education. Among her suggestions are, first, there is a need in matchmaking people to integrate mathematicians and other areas of knowledge, second, mathematicians should engaged in multi-disciplinary areas to broaden the usage of mathematics in life, and third to find more applications to their theory in life. The formulation of mathematical expressions and equations are necessary in bridging the mathematicians and society at large, and the backbone of engineering mathematics is applied mathematics since it solves society’s problems according to the need of community.

On the skills needed to be a good engineer she mentioned that they must have good communication skills, good analysing skills in facing human needs, and good interpersonal skills in dealing with users.

Further research have to be done and she cited that the classical Navier-Stoke theory is only valid for some kind of fluid due to its Newtonian nature, but for Non-Newtonian the Navier-Stoke theory is no longer valid. We have to do more research to get new theories.

She urged mathematicians to establish relationship with engineering faculties and engineering academics societies and in that sense Institute of Mathematics Engineering, UniMAP has a step forward in integrating mathematics and engineering.

Institut Matematik Kejuruteraan dilancarkan

Kuala Perlis, 25 Jun 2008, IMK dilancarkan. Institut Matematik Kejuruteraan (IMK), Universiti Malaysia Perlis (UniMAP) dilancarkan pada 25 Jun 2008 oleh Timbalan Naib Canselor Penyelidikan dan Inovasi UniMAP Prof Dr Zul Azhar Zahid Jamal. IMK merupakan satu-satunya institut yang sedemikian di Malaysia. Kajian-kajian matematik yang berkaitan dengan kejuruteraan dapat dijalankan di IMK. Selain itu kajian dalam bidang-bidang matematik yang lain juga dapat diadakan di IMK sebagai aplikasi matematik dalam kegiatan masyarakat dan keilmuan.

UniMAP mengharapkan IMK dapat berperanan mengembangkan ilmu matematik dalam melahirkan graduan kejuruteraan yang berwibawa dan mahir. Melalui ilmu matematik jurutera dapat mereka bentuk sistem yang tepat, optimum dan canggih bagi kebaikan sistem-sistem kejuruteraan di Malaysia dan seluruh dunia.

Dalam ucapanya Dekan IMK Prof Madya Abdull Halim Abdul mengharapkan agar institusi penyelidikan yang lain seperti Institut Penyelidikan Matematik (INSPEM) dan Fakulti Sains UTM dapat membantu perkembangan IMK dalam penyelidikan dan pengajaran.